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QuikSand · 04-13-2006, 09:14 AM

On the Bubble: The RB Battle

Since we’re in the dreaded preseason lull, I thought it might be worthwhile discussing (pretty openly) my conundrum at RB. This is a pass-first team historically, but having our best talent ever among our ball carriers and starting a rookie QB had us running a bit more last season. We ended up with pretty reasonable rushing stats overall:

Code:

2009 Summary for Chesapeake Chili Dogs
   
Chesapeake Chili Dogs   Team      Rank  
Rushes                  441       23          
Rushing Yards           1915      17          
Yards Per Carry         4.34      7       

Rushing             Pos   Att   Yards Y/Att TD  
44 Briner           RB    198   830   4.19  3       
47 Wunderlich       FB    115   448   3.89  3       
16 Sedor            QB    97    545   5.61  3       
**Team              ---   441   1915  4.34  9

Admittedly, we did get a subtle boost in the rushing totals from having a fleet-footed young QB, but our top two ball carriers themselves still averaged over 4 yards a carry – probably a first for this team in its history. We’re not a “smash mouth” team by any stretch, but we will be looking to keep the running game credible.

Heading into this season, we return our main-duty RB Bill Briner, a 13th year veteran with solid skills for straight-ahead running. We also return veteran FB Bill Wunderlich, a nicely well-rounded back with good skills most everywhere who was solid when (usually) slotted as the #1 TE and #2 RB. Additionally, we have obtained via trade veteran RB Craps Copley – detailed earlier in this discussion – who will serve us as a versatile third-down option and perhaps fit into our WR depth chart as well. Finally, FB Charles Emerson (a former first rounder, now just a decent contributor) remains aboard as a solid player at the true FB position.

That’s four players, enough to field a legal roster. We have three rookies, all trying to make the team. Each has interesting traits, and each still has some shot to make the team. With our four central players all pretty advanced in age, it would stand to reason that we’d make some effort to promote some youth here – it wouldn’t make sense to let Brent Sedor reach his full potential in a few years only to see the rest of his backfield hit the old folks home together.

So – with that overdone setup, let’s have a look at the three stooges themselves, shall we?

So, there they are, in all their full-color splendor. And yes, I have most definitely decided to stick with these ugly colors, if you must ask.

Now honestly, do I see any of these guys becoming our feature back one day? Almost certainly not. So the question is a little more nuanced – it’s a bit more about what can they do for me right now, and what, if anything, might they be able to do do better down the road.

James Richmond – he seems to be the place to start. Richmond has pretty decent ratings in elusiveness, hole recognition, and the other skills that are central to being a straight-ahead running back. He lacks receiving skills, but if I had to run the ball on first and ten with one of these rookies right now, it would definitely be Richmond.

In the preseason, we have slotted him as our starting RB, and he has been marginal – but has done so behind a second-tier OL. In the last game, he posted a respectable 12-46 and a TD, which is the best total output from any of the backs in the three games.

Short term hopes – he could actually get some carries this year if he makes the team, though he’d probably be our fourth choice to do so. Long term hopes – I doubt he gets much better than advertised, so probably not much, unless we really strike out at the RB position and he gets work by default.

Chuck Chatterley – Has almost no measurable skills in the areas that we’d actually care about, so why is he here? Well, mostly because he has every possible “intangible” going for him. He’s a strong affinity guy with my group leader Briner, he’s got sky-high volatility which could portend a breakout one day, and he’s even got really top-tier ratings in most of his personal attributes. If this guy stays in the league, he almost certainly becomes a RB mentor, a good chemistry addition, and so forth. But, by outward appearances, he basically can’t play worth a damn. His preseason work has not dispelled this notion – 12 carries for 45 yards, generally against the scrub lineups, doesn’t exactly get me out of my seat.

Short term hopes – he makes the team, contributes good chemistry, and we hope for some signs that he might develop. Long term hopes – if any of these ancillary ratings mean anything, then this guy might have a step forward some day and be useful.

Alex Sherman – A tight end in the draft, he was light enough at 235 to get a look at the FB/RB position. His skills were a better fit for RB, so here he is. He’s basically the anti-Richmond – where Richmond has skills best suited to run up the middle and little else, Sherman looks like a jack-of-all trades who might be useful doing almost anything but running up the middle. Pretty decent receiving skills, some kick return ability, and some special teams ability make him a potential fringe contributor in several ways. In the preseason so far, we have given him some carries – 4 for 9 yards, nothing to behold.

Short term hopes – oddly, he might be the guy who could actually get onto the field the most right now, with his return skills and receiving ability, plus he has strong affinity like Chatterley. Long term hopes are muffled after a really bad camp, but if he remained effective in the receiving game, he could satisfy a role a lot like the departed Lewis Lee – a little here, a little there, and stick around for a few cheap seasons.

Nobody here is going to turn the league on its ear, by any stretch. But we might have roster room for a 5th or even a 6th player at the RB/FB group… and these guys all bring various things to the table for us. We have on more week to consider our options – perhaps we’ll shuffle the depth chart a bit and see what Sherman can do as the #1 RB.

04-13-2006, 09:14 AM	#298
QuikSand lolzcat Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Annapolis, Md	On the Bubble: The RB Battle Since we’re in the dreaded preseason lull, I thought it might be worthwhile discussing (pretty openly) my conundrum at RB. This is a pass-first team historically, but having our best talent ever among our ball carriers and starting a rookie QB had us running a bit more last season. We ended up with pretty reasonable rushing stats overall: Code: 2009 Summary for Chesapeake Chili Dogs Chesapeake Chili Dogs Team Rank Rushes 441 23 Rushing Yards 1915 17 Yards Per Carry 4.34 7 Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD 44 Briner RB 198 830 4.19 3 47 Wunderlich FB 115 448 3.89 3 16 Sedor QB 97 545 5.61 3 Team --- 441 1915 4.34 9 Admittedly, we did get a subtle boost in the rushing totals from having a fleet-footed young QB, but our top two ball carriers themselves still averaged over 4 yards a carry – probably a first for this team in its history. We’re not a “smash mouth” team by any stretch, but we will be looking to keep the running game credible. Heading into this season, we return our main-duty RB Bill Briner, a 13th year veteran with solid skills for straight-ahead running. We also return veteran FB Bill Wunderlich, a nicely well-rounded back with good skills most everywhere who was solid when (usually) slotted as the #1 TE and #2 RB. Additionally, we have obtained via trade veteran RB Craps Copley – detailed earlier in this discussion – who will serve us as a versatile third-down option and perhaps fit into our WR depth chart as well. Finally, FB Charles Emerson (a former first rounder, now just a decent contributor) remains aboard as a solid player at the true FB position. That’s four players, enough to field a legal roster. We have three rookies, all trying to make the team. Each has interesting traits, and each still has some shot to make the team. With our four central players all pretty advanced in age, it would stand to reason that we’d make some effort to promote some youth here – it wouldn’t make sense to let Brent Sedor reach his full potential in a few years only to see the rest of his backfield hit the old folks home together. So – with that overdone setup, let’s have a look at the three stooges themselves, shall we? So, there they are, in all their full-color splendor. And yes, I have most definitely decided to stick with these ugly colors, if you must ask. Now honestly, do I see any of these guys becoming our feature back one day? Almost certainly not. So the question is a little more nuanced – it’s a bit more about what can they do for me right now, and what, if anything, might they be able to do do better down the road. James Richmond – he seems to be the place to start. Richmond has pretty decent ratings in elusiveness, hole recognition, and the other skills that are central to being a straight-ahead running back. He lacks receiving skills, but if I had to run the ball on first and ten with one of these rookies right now, it would definitely be Richmond. In the preseason, we have slotted him as our starting RB, and he has been marginal – but has done so behind a second-tier OL. In the last game, he posted a respectable 12-46 and a TD, which is the best total output from any of the backs in the three games. Short term hopes – he could actually get some carries this year if he makes the team, though he’d probably be our fourth choice to do so. Long term hopes – I doubt he gets much better than advertised, so probably not much, unless we really strike out at the RB position and he gets work by default. Chuck Chatterley – Has almost no measurable skills in the areas that we’d actually care about, so why is he here? Well, mostly because he has every possible “intangible” going for him. He’s a strong affinity guy with my group leader Briner, he’s got sky-high volatility which could portend a breakout one day, and he’s even got really top-tier ratings in most of his personal attributes. If this guy stays in the league, he almost certainly becomes a RB mentor, a good chemistry addition, and so forth. But, by outward appearances, he basically can’t play worth a damn. His preseason work has not dispelled this notion – 12 carries for 45 yards, generally against the scrub lineups, doesn’t exactly get me out of my seat. Short term hopes – he makes the team, contributes good chemistry, and we hope for some signs that he might develop. Long term hopes – if any of these ancillary ratings mean anything, then this guy might have a step forward some day and be useful. Alex Sherman – A tight end in the draft, he was light enough at 235 to get a look at the FB/RB position. His skills were a better fit for RB, so here he is. He’s basically the anti-Richmond – where Richmond has skills best suited to run up the middle and little else, Sherman looks like a jack-of-all trades who might be useful doing almost anything but running up the middle. Pretty decent receiving skills, some kick return ability, and some special teams ability make him a potential fringe contributor in several ways. In the preseason so far, we have given him some carries – 4 for 9 yards, nothing to behold. Short term hopes – oddly, he might be the guy who could actually get onto the field the most right now, with his return skills and receiving ability, plus he has strong affinity like Chatterley. Long term hopes** are muffled after a really bad camp, but if he remained effective in the receiving game, he could satisfy a role a lot like the departed Lewis Lee – a little here, a little there, and stick around for a few cheap seasons. Nobody here is going to turn the league on its ear, by any stretch. But we might have roster room for a 5th or even a 6th player at the RB/FB group… and these guys all bring various things to the table for us. We have on more week to consider our options – perhaps we’ll shuffle the depth chart a bit and see what Sherman can do as the #1 RB.